Dennis Weaver Earthship

Global Network - America: Colorado

Dennis Weaver was an American television actor who lived from 1924 to 2006 and devoted his life to social causes such as environmentalism and help for the needy. He became

popular in the 1950s and 1960s as the character "Chester Goode" on the long-running successful CBS-TV western series Gunsmoke. In the 1970s he enjoyed continued critical acclaim as the star of McCloud, an NBC-TV detective series. In the late 1980s he built an environmentally-sustainable home in Rigway near Telluride, Colorado.

The 8,500 square foot home sits on 20 acres with views of the Rocky Mountains. Earthships such as the Weaver home are made out of old tires filled with dirt and recycled aluminum cans, creating dense thermal mass walls, which store heat and then slowly release energy. In essence, this structure acts as a "thermal battery." The home was built using 3,000 tire bricks and over 200,000 aluminum cans covered with adobe.

The south-facing home features a "passive solar design." It is designed to absorb solar radiation that allows cultivation of fruits and vegetables all year long. Dennis was an outspoken vegetarian. The home draws its energy from DC batteries connected to large solar panels.

Inverters are used to power AC-driven appliances. In cases of extreme energy usage or lack of sunlight, the system automatically switches to the electric grid as a backup.

The environmentally-sustainable home cost a half million dollars to construct, yet the Weaver family was able to keep electric bills down to $50 per month. The home has been featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Home and Garden TV, the Discovery Channel and PBS.

Dennis Weaver made several courageous environmental contributions to society during his career. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, whcih combined the concepts of ecology and economics to seek solutions for environmental issues. He also founded "Love Is Feeding Everyone (LIFE)," which provided weekly food donations for 150,000 needy people in Los Angeles County. In 2001 he organized "Drive for LIFE" in which he raised money driving from Los Angeles to Denver in the eco-friendly Toyota Prius. His work with Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) included voicing television and radio public service announcements to educate the masses on solar energy.

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